Jurassic Games
by lollerballer
Summary: Who thought un-extincting dinosaurs was a good idea? A semi-crossover with THG and Jurassic Park/World.
1. Chapter 1

_This is by far the cheesiest song I've ever heard_ , I think to myself as a grand orchestra plays a crescendo of the 'ground-breaking' music that was composed just for this place.

I pull my headphones out and glance up to the cockpit door where a woman in a red getup leans through the entry, her rear-end already attracting the gaze of the broad man and his female companion who sit beside me. Smirking to myself, I divert my gaze out the window at my elbow, my eyes watching the transition of water to land, the stark colours of lush greenery piquing my interest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be approaching our destination momentarily. If you could please return your seats to the upright position and stow and secure any handheld electronics, we would be much obliged," the woman in red drawls into the end of the phone connected to the sound system causing me to break from my reverie. I seem to catch her eye just in time to get a slick wink and a smile before she moves to sit in her own jump-seat near the lavatory and begins to buckle her belt.

The moment she's secure, I feel the air get heavy around me as the plane noticeably starts it descent. My hands, ever the canary in the coal mine, grip to the armrests at my side.

"Relax, man. This is where it gets exciting," the man beside me crows, knocking his elbow into my shoulder with more force than necessary.

I keep my mouth shut because his white-blonde hair and tan complexion is bound to be bought and paid for by whatever TV station he's with and I don't want to mess with old media today. The fight just isn't in me. I'm here by the luck of invitation only – my oldest friend Delly Cartwright was inspired by my latest blog post on genetic research and decided I needed to come to where she works to get a little hands-on experience.

I'm still not sure what she meant by that but it's too late now to do anything but close my eyes and kiss my ass goodbye as the plane lands hard on the runway, undoubtedly headed for a crash. Unbelievably rolling to a stop a few minutes later.

The door to the outside world is swung open and I'm the first to step foot on the waiting staircase. I'm caught off guard by the bright sun and the wall of moist heat that engulfs me, the sound of the blades winding down slowly giving way to the creeping quiet of the jungle that surrounds the airstrip on all sides.

"Well, it's about time!" Delly shouts from the base of the staircase, bouncing on her heels as she throws up her arms to greet me. I'm pulled into her tight embrace as soon as I hit solid ground and I breathe a sigh of relief that's more audible than intended. "I'm sorry, I know you hate flying, but this was far better than coming in on a helicopter, I promise you!"

"No, it's fine. It was a long flight," I tip my head towards the blonde and his equally good-looking-in-a-plastic-kind-of-way woman before rolling my eyes dramatically. The flight had been equal parts raucous and loud as they'd entertained themselves throughout with the plane's dwindling mini-bar selection.

"Oh, stop. It couldn't have been that bad. Cashmere and Gloss are perfectly nice people," Delly insists, smacking me fondly upside the head before moving on to greet the TV crew with her usual over-bubbling energy.

I take the welcomed abandonment to really focus on my surroundings, turning in a three-sixty to see the mountains that roll upward to the west and the dense forest that seems to stand like an impenetrable wall on each side of us. Except, of course, for the luxury building that breaches the green with its stark white walls and accompanying balconies.

"Is that where we're staying?" The woman I now understand to be Cashmere calls, her high-pitched voiced excitable.

"Indeed, that is our flagship four-star hotel property that is connected to the Discovery Centre. We do have three other accommodation properties on the island for a variety of individual preferences but they're currently still under construction. We'll be staying here for the duration of your visit so that you can experience our world-class chef's cooking while also taking in the park's main attractions with our on-site expert and Park Coordinator, Katniss Everdeen. Before you know it, I can guarantee you, you'll never want to leave. Shall we head in?" Delly finishes, looking around to the ten of us before nodding and ushering us into the short bus emblazoned with the park logo.

Grabbing a seat at the front, I pull Delly down to the seat beside me and turn her chin so that she can't avoid my measuring gaze. It was an old trick I learned back when I wanted to get the truth out of her without her natural sugar-coating ways.

"You and I both took the same biology stream in university so I know you know what I know. Tell me this isn't a terrible idea that's just beginning to take root?" I beg, knowing full well that many of my nights leading up to this trip were spent turning over the science that I knew and the logic that screamed how horrible this all could really be.

"Peeta, you're being ridiculous. This park will be the safest adventure park offering in the world. Just wait until you meet Katniss, she'll convince you."

"I don't need convincing, Delly. I just want to be sure that you've thought through every possibility here. I remember our module on chaos theory and nature, you know," I insist, a burst of laughter from behind us causing us both to look towards the back of the bus where the TV crew is popping a cap marble against the metal bars and causing tiny bursts of gunpowder to be ignited. The action makes me sigh with annoyance before Delly clears her throat to get my attention back.

"We have. You're here to see for yourself and write an amazing first-look at this once-in-a-lifetime place," Delly reassures me, placing her hand over my knee and giving a little squeeze before getting to her feet. Behind her, through the windshield, that's when I get my first glance at what I'm really here for.

Off in the distance, beyond the trees that have given way to rolling grass fields, is the hotel we're heading to. And mutts.

Big mutts.

Dinosaur sized mutts.

"We're coming up on the first open-concept attraction, everyone. If you want to take your seats, I'm sure each of you will be interested to see the first dinosaurs to walk the earth since the pre-Dark Days Cretaceous period."

Despite the raging beat of my heart in my chest I force myself to look out my window and zero in on an Alamosaurus, not a few hundred feet away, feeding at the treeline, its length of tail far beyond what I've ever seen before in a living, breathing, creature.

The Capitol has done the impossible. They've brought back the dinosaurs.

The roaring sound of the orchestra piece bursts into my mind, its great building tempo filling me until I'm dizzy with a mixture of childish excitement and skeptical fear. I look up from my place at the window and meet Delly's blinding smile.

"Welcome to Jurassic Park, Peeta."


	2. Chapter 2

"Your things will be waiting for you in your assigned rooms. We figured it would be a good idea to give you all a chance to freshen up before dinner and grab some down time. There will be plenty of opportunities to explore the park throughout your stay with us so we want to make sure you're well rested! If we could all meet back here in say," Delly pauses to look at her watch. "About an hour? We'll have some dinner and go through the basic guest orientation."

I'm sure my mouth is open.

I'm sure I'm practically catching flies.

We stand in a towering lobby, each level of the hotel hovering above us with its own walkway balcony opening up into a huge open sky column. Below us the ground is cobbled stone, damp from the moisture of the island that has found its way it through the sky roof. To my right stands a broad desk with our keys, to my left an extravagant restaurant that seems to venture into an abyss of low-lights and creative forested décor.

"Do you like it?" Delly interrupts my observations, her face brimming with excitement. "I designed the layout myself. I'm in charge of guest park design and this was just one of the projects I've been lucky enough to work on. Wait until you see your view!" She squeals and nearly trips over herself getting my set of keys from the desk. "Here. Go. Don't look at the décor of the room, that is just standard hotel stuff. Look out the window. I promise you you'll love it!"

My hands take the keys from her and while I'm still in a slight daze from the overwhelming nature of the day so far, I'm ushered onto one of the elevators that shoots us all up to the penthouse level where twelve rooms are located.

"Number Twelve, _great_ ," I say to myself, watching as Cashmere and Gloss are assigned to six and seven, respectively. I say thanks for small favours and make my way around the winding open walkway towards my room making sure to not chance a look down the center of the hotel lobby to the ground floor.

The world beyond the door was far from what I expected.

Stepping into the room, I have to lift my jaw with my fingers back into a closed position. Before me a suite sprawls out, two rooms off to the left and a kitchenette on the right. Before me is a living room that puts a modern palace to shame – perfectly paired colours of furniture matching to each other and most notably, a wide expanse of drapery that spans the width of the room, almost beckoning me to it.

I can't deny the urge.

Nearly running to the curtains I force them over with a burst and look out on the expanse that is Jurassic Park. From high up you can't miss the way the mountain meets the rolling hills, the way the forest seems to skate around the edge of the island, blocking the ocean from encroaching on the mad science that's taking place here.

Or perhaps the forest is keeping the mad science _in_?

Trying not to dwell on it, I scan the ground and let my eyes follow what seems to be a track that winds this way and that, disappearing into a particularly dense patch of forest before re-emerging into the plains and moving around the edge of the mountain. I follow it back to where it starts, at the base of the Discovery Centre that's seemingly just below my feet before forcing myself to look away so the height doesn't make me sick.

"Holy shit," I hiss, no better words coming to mind as I take in the true scale of the park and what great secrets it may hold.

Before me is an island filled with man-made mutts, creatures made from genetic mutations that The Capitol has made billions off of in the last two decades.

Like any company, The Capitol started out small. Simple lab processing that quickly developed into a research and development department that started to gain traction. The mutts were their best discovery yet - they started out as purely lab experiments, creatures made to replicate human specific qualities that we could test new drugs out on without compromising animal protection legislation. The Capitol then moved on to creating smarter animals. Safer animals. They became an industry that is now integrated so deeply into the country of Panem that I can't imagine a time when they _weren't_ as powerful as they are now. And all in the name of _science_ … Or more like all in the name of _entertainment_.

It made sense then that Jurassic Park was their next big project – the one that would really reel in the cash. It made sense - the only way they could go now was into creating things from the deep past that nobody had ever seen before. The stuff from the pre-Dark Days past. The past that we only really know about because of our scientific discoveries in fossils and carbon dating.

The stuff that the people of the Dark Days didn't know how to comprehend either.

Was Panem ready to face this? I'm not sold on that thought yet.

Forcing myself back from the window, I have to shake my head of the dark way my thoughts have been twisting. It doesn't help to dwell on the what ifs. Instead I turn my attention to the bag that's been placed on the bed, my toiletries and clothing calling out to me and urging me into the decadent shower.

:::

The rest up time was well appreciated, as can be imagined when you're in a place as swanky as anything with the 'penthouse' name tagged onto it. Heading down to dinner I'm no longer shell-shocked from my first moments on the island, having taken a long and fantastic shower that seemingly washed away the feelings of uncertainty that had clung to me like dirt.

Now I was just skeptical. Of what they were doing here and whether they were playing house with dinosaurs or actually creating something real.

"That was a good _rest_ , wasn't it Mr Mellark?" Gloss rumbles from behind me, his hand landing heavily on my shoulder with a jolt of surprise. I catch the sly wink he throws to Cashmere at his insinuation and shake my head imperceptibly.

"The best. You can call me Peeta though, since it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few days. Might as well get on first names."

"Okay, Peet. I'm Gloss – which yes, I do go by my stage name but who cares anyways? This sweet thing here is Cashmere. She's easy on the eyes, but hard on the questions. We work for Channel 4 on the east coast, you've probably heard of us," he grins broadly, assumingly, as he leads us into the restaurant area.

"Hmm, probably. Although I don't watch TV anymore…" I trail off as I search the room for any sign of Delly.

"Oh yeah? You one of those New Age reporters who get their breaking news from a tweet?"

Gloss scoffs and sends me a pointed look, like he's daring me to challenge the fact that there's a 98% chance a third of their broadcast has live tweets included, if not directly focused on.

I'm really not into this debate right now. I need to send out a Delly-mayday call or something. Biting the inside of my cheek I turn back to where we'd wandered in from the lobby and catch sight of a woman I don't recognize – small, dark skinned with raven hair, ass-kicking boots over tan khakis and a "Jurassic Park" jacket that matches the vehicle we were chauffeured in on. And quite possibly a gun at her hip.

"Is this all of you?" She calls to me as she places her hands on her hips.

"Our camera crew is just wrapping shots of the suites," Cashmere responds, stepping back towards the girl while cocking her head slightly to the side.

In my head I can't get past the idea that Cashmere is _measuring up_ this girl as competition. At least that's what I get from her body language. I don't know for sure, but if looks could sentence, this girl would be unworthy of Cashmere's time, anywhere.

I would _kill_ to be here without these clowns.

"Can you page them or something? The bagged dinners are getting old," the petit woman sighs, her own body language closing right up like a solid door. I have to stifle a laugh at the whole interaction which is too awkward to point out.

"Who are you?" Gloss interjects before Cashmere can sass her way into us not getting any meal at all.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen, Park Coordinator. Delly Cartwright told me you folks were waiting for orientation so I'm to feed you and get you oriented," she quips, her gaze moving between each of us and then finally settling on me. I grin broadly but she doesn't return it, instead averting her eyes quickly.

Thankfully, I don't have much time to dwell on the rejection as the elevator across from us hisses down into place, expelling the camera crew onto the main level. It's the first real opportunity I take to look them over – the lone woman with her shock of blonde hair half-shaved and the two cameramen that accompany her everywhere with equipment strapped to their bodies.

"Sorry we're late – we're the last of the group. The Prep Team decided to enjoy the facilities in the rooms tonight," Blondie starts, stepping towards Katniss quickly and thrusting out her hand. "I'm Cressida, this is Pollux and Castor, my crew."

"Katniss Everdeen. Is everyone ready to go now?" She adds, turning back to us before nodding abruptly and heading towards the door.

We scurry after her like lost children, nerves buzzing and eyes wide as we once again step out into the heat that envelopes us like a wet blanket. Behind me Cashmere groans, audibly lodging a complaint at the humidity and how her hair _won't possibly_ stay in place for any tapings tonight.

"We weren't going to film you anyways, _Princess_ ," I hear Cressida whisper to herself as she climbs into the bus. I have to choke back the laugh that bubbles up inside me.

This might just be _fun._

-  
 _AN: Just a note, I'm going away next week but I'm hopeful to post something before I leave._


	3. Chapter 3

"Chicken or veg?" Katniss asks, startling me from my entrancing view out the window. We're merely driving from the Discovery Centre to the orientation start point but already I'm engulfed in my surroundings. All around us the forest growth is unreal – the trees reach nearly to the skies as we putter along the ground. The greenery is thick – the vines wrapping around the trunks from root to tip, strangling at their bark and blooming vibrant coloured flora that is almost transcendent. I'm awestruck.

"Excuse me?" I mumble, my knuckle brushing at my eyebrow, either from an unknown itch or a nervous tick I'm just now developing in front of this woman.

"Do you want a chicken sandwich or a veggie one? The sides are all the same," she repeats, her voice anything but enthused.

I wonder how she's not spellbound by this place.

"I'll take the veggie one, thanks." She nods and thrusts the bag towards me, pushing it into my hand and then ducking to look out the window. I take the second to shove it in my backpack to save for later.

"We're almost there," Katniss states aloud, whether for me or the others I'm not exactly sure, but I put my foot in the metaphorical door anyways. Shifting the bag to my seat, I reach my hand towards her and try my tried-and-true smile again.

"Nice to meet officially meet you, Katniss. I'm Peeta Mellark."

My voice wobbles, almost like I'm unsure, and I want to kick myself in the head. An especially hard kick when she turns her face slowly towards me, displeasure colouring her features. Looking at my hand as though it's covered in dino-dung, she smiles weakly and takes it in her own. I can practically see the effort it takes for her to put a smile on her face.

Which is unfortunate since the zing I'm feeling has nothing to do with the excitement of the Park.

"Nice to meet you as well. How did a paper pusher like you get roped into this trip?" She asks, her face softening slightly.

"Paper pusher?"

"Aren't you the finances guy for this team?" Cocking her head towards the back for emphasis I pick up what she's putting down.

"Oh no, definitely no. Nope. Not me," I stutter and laugh awkwardly, trying as hard as possible to distance myself from the group that so far has only come off as inconsiderate to any outsiders. "I blog. I stay as far away from numbers as I can get. We don't get along. Delly thought it would be a kick though to get my readership involved in this place before the park opened. Stir up some virtual excitement, if you will."

"Oh? So no TV time for you then?"

"Not a chance," I return and realize then I'm still holding her hand. Shit. I let it go slightly, watching out of the corner of my eye to see if she pulls it back with a snap. But she doesn't. Her hand lingers in the air for a moment before she looks down at it and then away.

"Sorry – I should get things ready."

"Good plan," I nod as she turns towards the rest of the group, handing out the rest of the sandwiches without even asking what they want. I'm definitely staring at her when she swings back towards me, her eyes catching mine as my cheeks flush in embarrassment. All I can do is shrug and smile, then immediately tuck my tail and look back out the window.

Thankfully she doesn't call me on it.

Instead, we hang tight until we arrive at the set of gates to the Park. They tower over us ominously, their effect of power and control over what lay beyond them is stark. When the bus finally pulls to a stop, it's to let us out at the entrance to what looks to be a monorail track system, the train cars a sharp steel that sparkles in the light.

"We've reached the main entrance to the park. All guests will exit and enter through these two sets of gates. It is both a security gate for the park animals and for guest control – no unauthorized groups will be capable of bypassing this security without an escort. It just happens that I'm your escort for this orientation, so you'd best listen to me and not get into too much trouble. These are live animals, they are unpredictable, they can be dangerous. Step out of line and we all go back to the Centre, got it?" Katniss stands on the boarding platform, looking out over the group with her arms crossed and her mouth in a tight line.

She's the gatekeeper, that is abundantly clear.

"Alright. Let's get heading."

My heart seems to pick up the pace as we climb single file into the train, parting down two rows of seats that are separated by a spacious aisle. The car itself is plush, new soft seats that have ample room to move and be comfortable with TV screens discreetly placed on the seat backs. Above and on both sides are spanning windows offering full, unobstructed views of the world outside. They're probably the best feature about the car, I can't help but think as I slide into a seat near the rear.

"How secure is the glass?" Cressida calls from her spot behind me. Ahead of us, Katniss is placing her palm against a glass screen, a small light scanning it and bringing the train roaring to life before she turns to face us.

"It's made to withstand a bomb blast and is shatterproof. The lining engineered into it prevents the shards from releasing should the overall strength be compromised. Basically, it's pretty secure. Now, some important – " The train jerks into motion and Katniss stumbles slightly, her hands gripping to the front seat until her knuckles turn white. "Sorry. Gets me every time, I'm used to being in a truck in the field, not this train. Important safety notes – there's four exits to the car. One in the rear, one in the front, and two staggered on each side. If anything should arise – and it likely won't – you're to exit through the nearest escape route, no questions asked. Washrooms are in the front, behind me, and a luxury bar will be operating when we're in season. For now though, we're going to head onto the main loop of the park so that you can get a 'first glance' at what most guests to the park will see.

"Tomorrow, after breakfast, you'll be taken on a more indepth tour that is available to our VIP guests which will feature some of the open lab space where we do our research and grow the livestock. You'll also get a sneak peak at the museum and the luxury facilities such as the Island Yogi Centre and the spa," she pauses to catch her breath, peaking down at her paper for a moment before looking back up and darting her eyes towards me. "I think that's it for the formal stuff. How about a movie to get us started while we go past the boring stuff?"

Gloss lets out a 'whoop' before the audible slap comes from Cashmere's hand on his arm. Katniss shakes her head and reaches up to press some buttons that bring the screens to life with a flicker as the same music from the plane bursts to life around us.

The video starts out interestingly enough, the story of the history of The Capitol playing out on screen, CEO Coriolanus Snow narrating the great strengths he had to overcome to bring the company back from the brink of extinction.

"Much like the dinosaurs you'll see today, as a matter of fact," he boasts from my screen. I can help but let out an audible scoff.

"Got a problem with Snow?" Katniss asks, slipping into the chair across the aisle from me and turning to face me head on, instead of the screen before her.

"Not specifically," I say through gritted teeth.

The real truth, the one that Delly knows full well and is probably the reason she invited me here, is that I can't stand the man. I don't know if it's more about the mutt program, or whether I hate him for the fact that he's a known corporate criminal who buys his way out of legal standards that the rest of the country has to abide by, but I know for sure he is on my list of top ten people to hate this century.

"That sounds like a ringing endorsement. Don't worry. You're among friends," she quips lightly and I have to stare at her to really take in what she's saying. She nods as if to reinforce it, then grabs her papers and a pen and scribbles something into the margins. I lean across without being invited, she doesn't lean away.

I can't say it out loud. Customer satisfaction record on train.

I look up to her with my mouth half open, then look around the train car before I can stop myself. I can't see the microphones, but Katniss would know if they were there.

"Oh," I murmur and then sit back, thoughts racing through my head as my focus is on anything but the video playing before me.

"You should really pay attention, you know. They're getting to the good stuff."

Glancing over at Katniss, I see she's made herself more comfortable by leaning against the window and placing her heavy boots on the armrest, her eyes half closed.

"How long is the trip?" I counter, looking out my window to see the trees still flying pass us.

"It's about twenty minutes through the forest then we slow down once we're in the open areas. If anything is out and about, we'll see it once we break onto the main plain. Then we move through the different territories we've setup for different periods. Might as well get comfortable though, it's about a three hour ride all together."

"Three hours?" I sigh, it's not that I'm not interested, but I'd rather do this tour when I know it's not going to be getting dark before it's over.

"Yep. Wake me when we get to the good part," she yawns and I have to tear my eyes away from her and focus on the video.

The new narrator, the non-Snow narrator, is finally finishing up his historic recount of the dinosaur era when we break free from the trees almost twenty minutes later. Right on time.

I'm too excited to wake her up.

 _AN: Hopefully this uploaded properly! Thanks again to my lovely beta JennaGill, she's the !_


	4. Chapter 4

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" Cressida wonders aloud from behind me. I shake my head, not even certain that she's talking to anyone, let alone me, as I look out the window. The view is unbelievable.

Before us is a grassy plain that stretches for miles in different directions. The break from the tree line is almost severe, except for the spackling of trees from the train car to the edge of a distant mountain. Far away, almost too far to see, are what look like giant forms, reaching up to great heights so much so that it looks like they're touching the sky.

"Is that a Brachi-something something?" Gloss calls out. Glancing over, I see he's got his face pressed to the glass like a child, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Brachiosaurus," Katniss' voice comes from behind me, her small frame leaning over my shoulder as she looks through my window. If this was anyone else, I'd probably lean away to reclaim my space, but with her… Well, perhaps I'm not too eager to get her out of my space.

"They must be huge if we can see them this clearly from here," I mumble, more to myself than anyone else. Katniss snorts.

"They are. Though you should probably see the real ones to be sure," she whispers and I snap my head to look her in the eye, my brow raised. "Come with me for a minute."

I follow her blindly to the back of the train car, my attention still focused on the world beyond the glass even as we step out onto the rear exposed deck of the car.

"Guests can stand back here and watch?" I question, weighing my immediate concern for safety.

"Not normally. VIPs, with appropriate supervision, can come back here, otherwise the general public cannot. I swiped us in. Look, I wanted to tell you something quick because you seem to be one of the few people with a brain on this excursion. Those out there?" She pauses, her hand pointing to the animals in the distance. "Those ones, specifically, aren't real. They're the lure to ensure everyone has a 'sighting' while on the tour. Our amusement manager, Plutarch Heavensbee, thought it would be a good idea to make the first glimpse overwhelming to newcomers - get them in, get them excited, get them buying stuff."

"You've got to be kidding," I laugh, my hands gripping to the railing as I lean forward.

"Not in the slightest."

"How do you know I won't tell everyone on the internet about this?"

"Because I figure you you could keep the secret and give this place a fair measure at the same time. We'll likely see something tonight, since it'll be dusk before we get back, but I didn't want to be the only one knowing that some of this is most definitely for show," she counters as I step back and lean against the rear of the train. I look her over again as she looks out over the plain, her hands tucked in her pockets as strands of her dark hair fly loose from her braid in the wind. Her dark skin is luminous against the greenery and the stark beige of her uniform, half wrinkled and half pressed. I have to choke back a laugh at that thought - that her uniform seemingly matches her half wrinkled, half pressed, personality.

The knock from the glass over my shoulder brings me out of my staring and I snap upright before Katniss can catch me.

"Cashmere, _awesome_ ," Katniss sighs below her breath and motions towards the door with an 'after you' gesture.

We join the others back in the train car where the attention is still focused outside, desperate for catching a glimpse of what's to come. Falling back into my seat, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed when Katniss is called to the front of the car for questions from Cashmere and Gloss.

"What'd she pull you out there for?" Cressida asks lowly, leaning over the back of my chair so that her hair loosely dangles in my eyesight.

"Nothing really, she wanted to show me the mechanics of the train," I lie and shrug. Cressida rolls her eyes.

"Give me a break. They're not real, are they?" My frown must give me away because she shakes her head slowly. "Don't worry. Secret's safe with me and my crew. They're the ones who spotted that they weren't moving at all anyways. Figures, those who can't talk are able to spot the less obvious things. Pollux, Castor, come here a sec," she turns and pulls at their collars from where they're standing together in the aisleway motioning to each other with their hands.

"Hey, I'm Peeta." Introducing myself, I stick out my hand towards them and the grin I receive in return makes me smile nervously.

"This is Pollux," Cressida motions to a shaggy haired man who waves his hand in greeting. She then points to a trimmed, dark haired man who nods towards me. "And this is obviously Castor. They handle film and sound while I tell them what to do. Sometimes we can make a pretty good shoot out of the whole thing."

"Even with the rest of your… Team?" I ask, tipping my head towards the front of the train. Castor coughs into his hand while Cressida and Pollux sigh.

"They're not usually part of the gig. Their network brought us in specially to film the park because we have experience in weird places. We did the footage for the doc called District 13, did you see it?"

"I think so - is that the one with the mole people?" The name rings a bell, but I can't say for sure. If it was that one, the stuff I do remember - mutations and some pretty narly behaviour - was a pretty hard-hitting piece of journalism about the District that Panem forgot.

"That's the one. You think dinosaurs are relics? Try those guys… So. Enough about us. What brings you to this side of the world? Have a fling with Cartwright?" She waggles her eyebrows at me and it's my turn to sigh.

"Not in the least. Old school friends. She wanted to give me a scoop, and so here I am. I just write a blog that gets a decent readership. Mostly though, I'm along for the ride."

"You're MelbaToast, aren't you?" Cressida whispers, her eyes turning to steel on me as Castor and Pollux shift their gazes from the window back to me.

I wish there was a beast out there _right now_.

"Um, ha… Ehhh…." I can't get the words to come to my lips. Rarely did anyone even know what MelbaToast was, let alone that it was my pseudonym.

"You broke some pretty top level shit on Snow a few years ago. How the hell did they let you slip in here?" She balks, taking my non-answer for a confession.

The truth was, I had no idea why Snow let me in here. My detest for him was apparent on my blog and to all my readers and he _must_ know who I am. But he still let me come, even after I broadcast to the world in the early years of my writing that he was a super-villain.

Or as close as we could get to a super-villain in Panem.

The case had been open and shut, in the eyes of the law. Evil man buys up factories in low-income Districts and then forces slave labour on them while paying off the Panem sanctions groups to keep them from getting on his back. I'd written the truth, the one that the media didn't see profitable since a lot of their ad revenue came from The Capitol and its varied product lines, and the internet had almost exploded. My blog had taken a hit in revenue generation, but my readership had quadrupled. Those companies who had a bone to pick with Snow themselves started gathering at the gates, sort to speak, asking how to fund me.

Instead of setting myself up to become a hypocrite, I'd packaged my reporting blogs and sold them as an anonymous book that flew off the shelves. In one swift move I'd avoided compromising my integrity while putting the story out there for everyone to read. My income had finally stabilized and my anonymity had been solidified – until now, only a handful of people had known my true identity.

"I'm as in the dark as you, though I'd hope you don't share what you've just learned with all your viewing audience. I'm trying to lie low still so I have a real life." And it's true. I don't want to be a famous reporter who gets all the inside scoops, I just want to live my life and write about what's interesting to me.

"We'll keep it under wraps for now, on one condition," she pauses for emphasis and looks between the group. "You have to tell us how you got such a lame handle?"


	5. Chapter 5

We're halfway into the train trip when we see our next 'real' mutt – a pterodactyl that swoops across the beautiful lake that we've been travelling around for the last half hour.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" I wonder aloud, my head snapping to watch it glide overhead through the windows above.

It seems the rest of the trains passengers are as enthralled as I am because the cameras start rolling and the selfies start being taken. Internally I remind myself that it's better to capture the memories by living them, not photographing them. I repeat this mantra to myself until I'm pulled into a group shot by Katniss, her not-joking look present on her face as Gloss and Cashmere tell us we 'absolutely have to be in the making of history'.

In the rush of the pictures, the pterodactyl disappears from sight and the world around us is once again empty but for the gorgeous views that surround the train.

"You know, at least if the average Joe doesn't see anything when they get out here, they still have the sights. The island has some beautiful landscapes," I mention as I return to the quad-seats where Cressida and her crew have invited me to join them. Pollux responds, his hands moving quickly to Castor's empty cackles as Cressida snorts.

"He says that its true, but the typical human wouldn't be satisfied paying what they're asking in park entry fees to go on a nice train ride."

"True. Definitely something they need to consider, I guess."

The next while slips by without anything of note. I find myself enjoying the company of the film crew more than I thought I would, often trying to pick up the keys to how Castor and Pollux's sign language works and then laughing when I actually understand one of their jokes. When Katniss comes back to join us, I know my mood must rise to a noticeable level because Castor kicks my ankle and creates a small heart with his hands while his face makes a mockery of swooning.

"Ha, I wish," I mutter.

Castor smiles then looks to Katniss, then back to me, then back to her. "Don- " I start, but it's too late as Castor's foot shoots out and taps Katniss', gaining her attention as my outburst startles the group. All eyes turn to me for an awkward moment before turning back to Castor who is pretending to whistle and look out the window. I try to blend into the chair as Katniss turns her attention back to me for a drawn out moment, her mouth a solid line as she looks me over, before turning back to her conversation with Cressida.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

I breathe too soon.

Castor's foot taps hers again without warning and this time the group stays distracted enough that Katniss is able to look towards him and his hands forming the heart before he points towards me.

I want to die.

I'd be okay with dying right now.

My face is aflame as Katniss glances at me quickly, her eyes skating over me as her cheeks redden. She doesn't miss a beat though, continuing her conversation with Cressida, though absently. The whole scene drags on too long and I can't stand it – I excuse myself to the washroom, taking my bag with me in the off chance I can jump out of this train and run far, far, away.

Shutting the door behind me, I struggle to turn the lock, the contraption far beyond the simple machine that used to be a standard in lock systems. Finally getting it closed, I slump heavily onto the toilet seat and put my head in my hands, fingers rubbing at my temples as I replay the scene.

I'm not normally one for embarrassment – I can usually hold my own with women, typically even talking my way into a date with them when there's something there, but Katniss Everdeen is different. I've only known her for a short amount of time but every interaction with her has left me with a thrill that I can't deny and that makes me crazy.

If I'm being totally honest with myself, Castor giving that obvious hint was probably better than anything I could have done myself. I wasn't going to make a move here, it would be stupid to do it – she lives on this island, dammit, and I live across Panem, it would never work. But Castor outing me like that… Well. Maybe we could have a thing.

"Grow up, Mellark," I mumble to myself and rub my face, getting to my feet and looking at myself in the mirror. I wash my hands before running my wet fingers through my mess of blonde hair that is in desperate need of a cut. I look a disaster, two day scruff covering my chin and my wrinkled clothes are bound to be less than impressive.

Still –

My thought stops dead as a screech rings out through the car and I'm flung back onto the toilet seat, my hand landing heavily on the metal support bar with a snap. I grab onto it tightly with my other hand, my backpack hanging off my shoulder as the train car shudders and jolts, becoming weightless for a mere second before slamming down and forcing me airborne.

It all happens in the blink of an eye. There's a scream behind me, somewhere in the distance, as the creaking metal of the once shining luxury train buckles and crumples around me. I find myself sliding against the wall of the bathroom, my grip locked on the support bar as the car around me rolls and then finally, thankfully, stops.

There's only a second to orient myself as I get to my feet, the pain from what will no doubt be a hellish day tomorrow is thwarted by the adrenaline that pumps through my veins. I look up towards the door that's now above and to the left of me and at the small drips of water that are coming through the heavy seal.

"Shit. No." The fear is on me immediately, the realization sinking in that we must have gone off the rails and into the lake that we were circling.

Now we're sinking.

"Oh, no no no. I was totally kidding about that wanting to die thing," I shout aloud, the panic filling me. Looking around me I try to find something that will help me reach the stupid lock on the door that I've hated since the moment I stepped in here.

I don't know exactly what my plan is but I know it's not helped when the drips turn into a stream and soon the water is cascading into the room too quickly to handle. I secure my backpack over my shoulders, my hand that had hit the bar twinging with pain at the movement.

I promise myself in that moment that as soon as I get out of here, I'm leaving this damn island.

The water creeps up to waist level and I focus on using my buoyancy to start bringing me up to where I need to be.

I tread water.

I wait.

When there's less than a foot of air left in the washroom cabin I pull anxiously at the lock system until I'm able to break it loose. The door shudders and as I gasp for my last breath of oxygen for who knows how long, bracing myself against the wall and forcing the door open.

I'm pushed by the torrent of incoming water back into the corner of the cabin, the murkiness making it difficult to see as I try to find my way out. Hands sliding against metal, I find the opening and make my escape, pushing myself free and towards what I hope is the escape of the train car.

Reaching the glass, I find myself trapped by the protection that had once been something that was quite appealing. I bang mercilessly against it as a scream bubbles inside me, my lungs starving for the air that is out of reach.

I try to find my way out. I try.

But I fail.

My body is failing me, or I'm failing it, as I struggle to pull myself towards what I think is the front of the car.

I can't see anything.

I can't die like this.

My last thought before I everything goes dark is that it's pretty damn pathetic to drown on an island full of dinosaurs.

 _AN: Always remember - your beta is a wonderful, awesome person who gives their time and should be recognized for helping turn trash into otherwise gold. You be amazing, JG._


	6. Chapter 6

I wake up on land. A staccato burst of coughing and water erupting from me until I'm heaving to the side, water seemingly coming out of all the facets of my face.

The burn is real in my lungs, my eyes and my bones. Everything hurts.

Though not the hand that rubs my back, between my shoulder blades. _That_ comforts me, surprisingly.

When I finally stop coughing, the air now able to return to my lungs, I collapse onto the ground and lay there for a moment, exhaustion overcoming me.

"You okay?" Katniss' voice slips into my consciousness and I tense, rolling to the side to look up at her as her hand slips from my back.

"What – " I start and then cough again, flopping onto my back until the coughing stops.

"The track was broken. We all got out just after we hit the water. Cressida went back and got you out. We thought you were gone for a minute there," she says quietly. My eyes roll around to see Pollux and Castor standing at my feet and Cressida off to the side, wringing out her shirt. In the distance I can hear Gloss trying to calm a screaming Cashmere.

I try to process the information in my head but my brain must be slow from the lack of oxygen.

"The track was broken?" I force out, sitting up abruptly. My head spins as I turn until I can see the track about a hundred feet from us, the first car of three missing under the water. I wonder to myself how deep down this lake must go if it could swallow a whole train car without a trace, but the thought unnerves me.

"I've never seen anything like it," Katniss murmurs, an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

It's the fear that has me twisting to see her face, the cuts still bleeding and a bruise forming on her cheekbone. Instinctively I reach up with my injured hand and brush lightly at her bruises, catching myself and freezing at the action. My eyes seek out hers, panic laced at perhaps being too forward, but I only see her own eyes closed and a crinkle of worry lines crossing her forehead. She leans into my hand so slightly that I might be imagining it.

"How do we get out of here?" Gloss shouts, startling both Katniss and myself. Katniss moves like a whip, grabbing at my hand and forcing a yelp from my lips.

Castor is next to me a moment later, dropping a heavy sack onto the ground and gently lifting my arm to examine my hand. Katniss, now standing, flips her attention between Gloss' angry bursts and Castor's attempt at first aid. I try to sit up and watch, but Castor pushes me back down and motions wildly with his hands.

I shake my head.

"I'm not sure what - " I cough and look above me trying to summon Cressida telepathically to help.

Castor holds his hand in front of my face, seemingly telling me to stop. When I do he smiles broadly and holds up the bag with the red cross on it before pointing to himself. I nod and he lifts my arm carefully, his fingers ghosting over the bones and joints and feeling for breaks. Behind us, I can hear Katniss calmly explaining to Gloss her plan to follow the tracks back the way we came.

It doesn't go well.

"You can't be serious! Walk _all the way back?_ That'll take days!" Gloss shouts and I can't help but swing my attention from Castor towards them. Gloss towers over Katniss easily, his hands locked across his chest as he leans down to get in her face. Katniss simply smiles, hands in her pockets, as he tries to intimidate her. But she's unflappable.

"I'm sorry, but there's no safe way to cross the lake and relocate the track. We need to stick with the path we know. It won't take days if we start now."

"We should take a vote. We were over halfway through the tour when this happened so we have to be halfway back - "

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Katniss shouts, interrupting his tirade. He steps back, his palm coming to his chest like a 19th century lady who has been offended too easily. "That route, the one up ahead, goes through a mountain we call the Nut which is located in District 2. You don't want to mess with District 2 or the Nut. Trust me."

"Well, I don't. You got us into this mess!" Cashmere shouts, injecting herself into the fight and stepping face to face with Katniss. "If it wasn't for your poor operating or that train we wouldn't be here right now!"

Pollux snorts and I balk. Katniss had nothing to do with the tracks just _disappearing_.

"I'm not going that way back. It's a death sentence," Katniss replies slowly, stepping back and turning towards the rest of us. "Anyone who wishes to take the shorter route, please feel free to join them, but be aware that you likely won't make it back if you do manage to find your way across the water."

"What's in District 2 that you're so afraid of, huh?" Cashmere continues, hands on hips and chin stuck out. I'm personally glad she's stopped her screaming, but this is starting to get a bit much.

"There are too many things to count," Katniss replies lazily and scoops up her backpack and a few loose items that they'd rescued, I assume, from the train. I watch as she moves lithely, almost effortlessly, before standing to re-tie her braid.

I'm so distracted by the conversation and Katniss herself that I'd almost forgotten that Castor was fixing up my hand, at least until he turns my wrist straight and my stomach rolls with the pain. I twist to the side to retch, a fill of water pouring from my mouth, before Castor helps me roll onto my side where I lay until he's finished successfully splinting the bones.

"Thank you," I grumble, my bones jittering with adrenaline that my body won't stop bumping. Castor seems to sign a message of indifference before moving out of the way so that Katniss can come down once again to my level.

"Are you able to walk?" She asks, her eyes scanning over me.

"Probably. I think my body is just pissed that it almost died in there," I groan and start to force myself up to my feet, my good hand rubbing against my forehead. Standing, Katniss' hand on my elbow, I nod towards where Cressida stands watching me, evaluating. "Thanks for getting me out," I call. She nods and turns to her crew where their hands begins flying at warp speed.

"Are you going to go with Gloss and Cashmere?" I look to Katniss and shake my head.

"And choose somebody who has never been to this park in their life?" I answer, tight laughter in my words.

"Good. I wasn't eager for you to die," is her mumbled reply and I have to grin at her words.

Good. She doesn't want me dead, that's a start. Right?

"We're with you, Everdeen," Cressida calls back to us, her group beginning to gather up the small amounts of equipment they'd saved from the train.

Looking around myself, I turn my attention to looking for something I can salvage but come up short, save for my own backpack. Leaning over to get it I sway slightly with the change in posture and have to stumble my legs into a V and grab at my thighs to steady myself.

"Wait, so you're just going to leave us?" Cashmere shouts, thankfully distracting everyone from my temporary instability.

"No. Not at all," Katniss counters, exhaustion starting to line her voice. "I'm simply taking the best route out of here. You're welcome to join us but you've clearly indicated that that is not your preference. If you would like to join us, please do. Otherwise we're leaving. Ready?" she finishes strongly, turning to look at each of us and nodding. I nod back and force myself upward, my hand looping through my bag before slinging it over my shoulder.

"Let's go."


End file.
